Picking the Right Spot on the Ice
Come equipped to do some serious fishing. Local bait shops can advise you on where the fish are biting. Recently cut holes tell a story of how active that spot has been. Pay attention to where other anglers are fishing. Quietly move into their vicinity, but never expect them to make allowances for your arrival.
Using fishing sonar & depth finders and understanding how it works separates the successful anglers from the blowhards. Aggressively locate the fish, don't wait for them to find you. Before setting up your ice house or fishing shanty, dig several holes: some in deep water and some a few yards from a weed bed. Drilling holes compensates for not being able to drift through the area.
Setting up the ice shelter
Moving from hole to hole means remaining mobile, with ice fishing equipment handy. Do not spread your gear around the ice so that it takes precious time to gather everything. Keep your ice shelter portable and not overloaded. Packed ice fishing sleds allow for quick relocation. Drill a few holes, move the shelter over the holes, start your heater, and fish for a few minutes. Regularly check other holes. Move on if the fish are not biting.
Once you've found the fish, the bait you use will entice them to stay and lure in others. Fish prefer fresh bait, but if they are not biting, quickly change what you are using.
Into the night
Your ice house is your command post where you retreat when the wind and cold are getting the best of you. It is a means to extend your hours of productive fishing during the half-hour before sunset, until dark. Fish are biting, but not always able to see the bait. Switch to glow-in-the-dark bait during these hours. Glow jigs can attract crappies and walleye even after dark and work well in dark waters during daylight hours.
A productive ice-fishing trip is dependent upon location and initiating a strategic plan.
Planning Your Ice Fishing Trips
Planning for an ice fishing trip is not like planning for an average outing. There's much more to it than packing for a day at an amusement park or a jaunt across the country for a weekend in Vegas. No, there are myriad topics and items to consider, pack, research, and choose beyond which shoes will match that purse. Here are a few helpful hints to get you through your ice fishing trip.
Essential ice fishing gear to get started
Ice fishing is a special sport with very particular weather circumstances. That is why it is paramount to plan meticulously before setting out into sub-zero temperatures for long stretches of time.
Ice Fishing Clothing
The first and probably most obvious items to think about are clothing. The best approach for winter clothing is layering, bearing in mind that the outermost layer should be windproof. Three to four layers of clothing should suffice, allowing you to add or subtract layers throughout the course of the day to meet your comfort level, regardless of the weather. Hat and gloves are absolutely essential items, as 75 percent of a person's body heat is lost through the head. Warm socks and insulated, waterproof boots will help guard against frost-bitten toes. It is important to bring extras of everything. After all, this sport does involve being around water, and the likelihood of getting something wet is reasonable enough to warrant precautionary measures.
Ice Fishing Equipment
Next, think about miscellaneous equipment. It is wise to have a first aid kit handy for any outdoor activity and especially for ice fishing. Along with this kit, high-energy snacks and a thermos of non-alcoholic hot liquid will help keep you going on a cold day. Hand warmers, those pocket-sized, seemingly luxurious items, are inexpensive and can go a long way to keeping you out there fishing longer. A five-gallon bucket of any sort will function nicely to carry gear and also double as a seat when turned upside down.
The amount of fishing equipment brought along can be sizable or minimal, depending on your needs and resources. The necessities, however, include an ice auger or a spud bar to make a hole in the ice. An ice skimmer should be present to clear the hole of ice chips and keep the hold from quickly freezing back over. Other obvious indispensable items are fishing poles, bobbers, lures, bait, and hooks.
With all of these items in your possession and ready to pack, it is time to figure out where you will go. The Internet, periodicals, and good old-fashioned phone calls will help you figure out where is ideal for you. This will depend on what kind of fish you are looking to catch, what time of day you want to be out, where you want to go, how much money you should expect to spend if a guide is involved, and who you should take with you. Once you get all of these details ironed out, you can load up your car (and wallet), and head for the great outdoors.
Using an Ice Auger
Hand augers
The angle of the blade is precise; damaging it will impair carving. Before cutting, make sure the blade is sharp. Some augers have fold-down handles or handles with comfort adjustments. Secure all adjustments before cutting into the ice. Attach a strap to the handle of your ice auger and secure it to your body or around your hand to keep from dropping it through the ice. Stand the ice auger upright with the tip placed against the ice. Holding it firmly, slowly begin cranking the handle clockwise. Speed up once the tip works its way into the top layers of the ice. Putting pressure on the auger will help it stay on track and quickly work through the ice.
Power auger
Never use a power ice auger that is out of oil, and change the oil regularly. If gas-powered, add gas; if electrically powered, check the power supply and keep cords away from the path of the drilling. Cords can be easily cut or end up in the water once you break through the ice. As with the hand auger, check the sharpness of the blade, adjust handles, and attach a support strap. Avoid knocking hand or power auger blades on the ice; this could damage the blade. Maintain control of the power auger, remembering that it is more powerful than the hand model.
Sharpening ice auger blade
Sharpen blades with a bench-top or hand polisher. Mark the area of the blade that needs sharpening - polish only that area to avoid cutting too much and changing the cutting angle. Apply rouge cutting grit (one that is not too aggressive cutting) to flannel and lightly polish the beveled side of the ice auger blade. Concentrating too long on one area can change the angle and shape of the blade.
